Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JACOB SINGER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRovEMENT IN cAR-ouPLlNGs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,724, dated June 9,1874; application tiled April 1o, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', JACOB SINGER, of the city of Harrisburg, county ofDauphin, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementson Oar-Oouplin gs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a partof this specification, in which- Figure l represents my coupling withthe ordinary link and pin in coupled position. Fig. 2 represents thesame with the pin elevated to receive and couple the link automatically.Fig. 3 is a front view of the draw-head, andV Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the inclined follower employed as the pin-detent.

My invention relates .to that class of selfcouplers in which the commonclosed link and round pin are employed; and it consists, es-

sentially, of an inclined way arranged in the rear part of the draw-headframe, and of an inclined follower or beveled block adapted to travel upand down said inclined way in such manner that its front end may bepresented forwardly square, and far enough to hold the pin poised on itstop, and which, when pushed backward by the link, will allow the pin todrop to automatically couple the link, a stop being also employed tolimit the throw of the follower.

The purpose of ca-r-couplings being well known, I proceed to describethe construct-ion of mine.

In any ordinary coupling drawhead, made either of wrought or cast iron,I insert an inclined way, H, in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, bycleating the insides of the side f plates thereof'. On this inclined wayI mount a follower, P G G, in form' as shown in Fig. 4, having a squarefront, P, and beveled sides G G cut beneath in manner to correspond withthe pitch of said inclined way, that when the follower is in positionthereon, its top may be horizontal, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

, front end of the draw-head is chambered between the parts m n o, toallow the link A to be inserted in a chamber suitable toV match theheight of the opposing draw-head to be coupled. The said chambered partsend squarely a short way in the draw-head, and

allow the pin N or N to' drop freely in the rear thereof, that it maybear against the rear end of the portion n when draft is on the head toinsure the life of the pin. The followerl P G G is of proper length, andthe inclined way H is properly distanced in relation to the place wherethe pin N or N is inserted, that when said pin is elevated, as shown VinFig. 2, the follower may fall, by the action of gravity, to place underthe point of the pin as a detent to hold it poised. The instant the linkA pushes back the follower, the pin, being no longer supported, fallsthrough the link and couples it, while the follower, after reaction isspent, falls down the inclined way and hugs the link with its squarefront end P, as shown in Fig. 1. A stop, K, is inserted in position, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, to limit the rearward thrust of the follower,which it stops on the rear side of the part P, the parts G G passingbeside said stop. The object of limiting the follower thus is to preventits being driven up too far on the inclined way and being pinched fastagainst the top plate of the draw-head or the under side of theplatform-timbers.

Ordinarily the top plate of the draw-head is omitted, and it is evidentthat only a limited bottom plate is needed to erect the said postthereon, and that transverse stops may be employed where no bottom plateis used, which may be supported on the side plates.

I am aware that a block sliding on an inoline for the purpose ofsustaining the pin until the entrance of the lilik is not new, and suchI do not claim broadly; but

What I do claim as new and useful, and what I desire to 'secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

'lhe draw-head m u ol), having superimposed chambers P, the straightinclined way H, and stop K, in combination with the follower P G G', allconstructed to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand and seal this 7th day of April, 1874.

JACOB SINGER. [L. s] Witnesses THEoPHILUs WEAVER, PETER STU'GKER.

